Policies & Procedures Physician Assistant Students

The following are policies that prospective and accepted students should be aware of prior to applying and/or enrolling in the program:

MUPAP NCAA Sports Policy

Due to the academic and time demands of the Methodist University Physician Assistant Program, student-athletes with remaining eligibility at the time of matriculation into the MU PA Program are prohibited from participating in a NCAA-organized sports team at Methodist University.

Policy on Student Employment

The program strongly discourages students from having outside employment while enrolled in the program. Program expectations, assignments, deadlines and responsibilities will not be altered or adjusted to accommodate working students. Any student work outside of that arranged by the program is not covered under the student malpractice insurance policy.

Policy on Student Work to Benefit the Program

Students will not be required to perform any clerical or administrative work or teaching on behalf of the PA Program. On occasion the faculty or staff of the program may make a request for a student to perform volunteer activity for the program (e.g., participate in a community health screening for the public). Students will not be obligated to volunteer and shall not be financially compensated for this activity.

Policy for Soliciting Clinical Sites and Preceptors

Methodist University PA students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. Students may make suggestions or requests to the clinical department for sites and preceptors but are not required to do so. If the student wishes to rotate at a site or with a preceptor with which the program does not currently have an affiliation agreement, the student can submit a Preceptor Interest Form that includes the desired clinical site name or preceptor name to the clinical team. The clinical team will contact the clinical site and/or preceptor for further evaluation.

Student Travel for Clinical Rotations

In the Clinical Year, clinical rotations are assigned by the MUPAP and are primarily in Fayetteville, NC or within 75 miles from campus. One rotation may be assigned outside of the 75-mile radius and require housing expenses (AHEC housing is available for $20/night). International rotations are available for students who would like to complete a rotation abroad, but all expenses are the responsibility of the student. Due to the complexity and availability of preceptors, the schedule is determined by the clinical team and not at the students’ discretion. Prospective students must be aware that should one elect to commute to campus or have family obligations, the program is unable to scheduled rotations within the proximity of one’s home to accommodate individual needs. Prospective students must be aware that training sites are subject to change. Students must provide their own transportation and room and board (if applicable) for clinical sites to which they are assigned.

Policy on Faculty Providing Healthcare to Students

Program faculty, the program director and the medical director may not participate as healthcare providers for students in the program. (The only exception to this would be an emergent/life-threatening situation.) Students may utilize TimelyCare (Methodist University’s partner for delivering healthcare for students) for healthcare needs or seek care from their primary care provider.

Attendance & Punctuality Policy

The Methodist University PA Program is an intense academic experience and, to give you the best chance at succeeding, attendance is mandatory. Expect to be here all day every weekday. There may be classes and activities scheduled in the evening and on weekends that you will be expected to attend. The program will make every effort to notify you far enough in advance to schedule accordingly. You are expected and required to attend all scheduled learning events.

We recognize that PA students are adults and that there may be other demands on your time, we strongly encourage you to schedule appointments around the class schedule. In the event an absence is unavoidable you may submit an Absence Form. This form must be submitted by email to the Academic Coordinator during the didactic phase of the program and the Clinical Coordinator during the clinical phase at least 24 hours in advance of an absence or within 24 hours after the absence if it’s an emergency. Students should notify the course instructor for any course they are absent from as well. A fillable version of this form is available under “course documents” in the module section of the “Didactic Year” course on Canvas as well as the “Clinical Year” course on Canvas.

Routine medical and dental appointments should be scheduled during times outside of class time or other school-related activities; however, if a student has made an appointment for a medical visit originally on a date outside of class, but the class schedule or curricular event was subsequently changed or amended, the student should notify the Academic or Clinical Coordinator of the absence as well as any relevant course instructors.

Additional points concerning absence:

Students are responsible for obtaining missed classwork.
A MUPAP Absence Form must be completed and submitted via email for absence.
Avoid making commitments to participate in social activities, that would entail missing class time.
An unexcused or unplanned absence of more than 24 hours duration requires an excuse from a healthcare provider or approval from the program director.

Students are expected to demonstrate responsibility by arriving at lectures, labs, small group sessions, and exams on time. Instructors are not required to admit students who arrive late to their classes. If a student is unavoidably delayed, they must contact the Academic Coordinator as soon as they are able. An unexcused absence from an examination will result in a ‘zero’ for that exam, with no recourse for a make-up examination. Patterns of abuse of absences and tardiness may result in referral to the PASC for disciplinary action.

Attendance and on-time class arrival are required to remain in good standing in this program. You must be in your seat no later than five minutes before class start time.

Dress Code Policy

Professional appearance and demeanor are an integral part of the conduct of physician assistant students. These standards demonstrate self-respect and respect for the patient and the profession. Any question concerning the dress code should be brought to the attention of the Academic or Clinical Coordinator.

Didactic Phase

Students are expected to dress professionally in “business casual” attire when attending class and/or campus activities. This includes slacks, khakis, dress shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, blouses, skirts, or dresses. Skirts or dresses should not be more than 1 inch above the knee. Business casual does not include jeans, T-shirts, gym clothes, yoga pants, leggings, sweatpants, shorts, cut-off tops, hoodies, tank tops, halter tops, off the shoulder or strapless tops or clothing with rips/tears. Hats are not permitted in lab or class. Shoes should be clean and in good repair. Students are required to wear closed-toe shoes for all lab participation.

Students must purchase a particular brand and color of scrubs purchased through Castle Uniforms (~$60/set). These pre-selected options will be available for purchase year-round via a weblink provided by Castle Uniforms. There will be a “Methodist Physician Assistant Program” logo on the left chest of the scrub tops so that students may wear these scrubs in the clinical year if acceptable by the clinical site. Although scrubs will be allowed for class, there may be activities on campus that students participate in that scrubs will not be appropriate.

On occasion the program will allow “dress-down days” in which students can dress comfortably in attire such as Methodist logo T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and jeans without rips or holes. Dress down days will be determined by the program faculty. On dress down days students should not wear gym clothes, yoga pants, cut-off tops, tank tops, halter tops, strapless clothing, or shorts.

Students must wear a white lab jacket (unless specifically requested not to wear by preceptor, ex. Peds). The lab jacket must be clean and pressed, and appropriate “jacket length.” These lab jackets should be purchased with a student discount from Castle Uniforms. Note: The program staff must approve any jacket purchased elsewhere. The lab jacket purchased through Castle Uniforms will allow for students to be clearly identified in the clinical setting as Methodist University Physician Assistant Students. Students should wear a school issued name tag as well as any facility issued name tag necessary during clinical rotations to identify them as Methodist University Physician Assistant Students.
Hair must be well-groomed and neat.
Students may have mustaches and beards that are neatly trimmed but may be required to shave for specialties that require coverage for sterile field such as surgery during clinical year.
Nails should be trimmed sufficiently to ensure efficient work and cleanliness. Per the CDC, natural nail tips should be kept to ¼ inch in length.
Artificial nails are NOT to be worn during the clinical year; many surgical sites have restrictions for artificial nails in those areas. The wearing of artificial nails poses a significant infection control problem.
Proper attention to personal cleanliness and grooming must be maintained at all times.
Students may wear slacks and a dress shirt, dresses, or skirts/slacks with blouses and/or sweaters if appropriate for the rotation.
Dress and skirt lengths must be no more than one inch above the knee while standing for a dignified appearance.
Short skirts, plunging necklines, and midriff or transparent tops are not appropriate for the clinical site.
Jeans, shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, hats, exercise clothing, and sandals are not appropriate for the clinical site.
Shoes must be clean, and all clothing must be kept clean and in good repair.
All shoes must be closed-toed. Tennis or athletic shoes may be worn in situations where scrubs are required (i.e., surgical suites and emergency departments).
“Scrubs” are appropriate only in the emergency department or surgical areas or when preferred by the clinical site.
All attempts should be made to cover any visible tattoos, and the student should abide by the policies at the facility that he/she is rotating.

Note: There may be other specific clothing recommended by faculty during the didactic year when attending lab activities in Human Anatomy I and Human Anatomy II. This may include clothing that could be soiled during handling of specimens in the lab setting. Clothing for these 2 courses may include t-shirts, scrubs, or other acceptable clothing that may become soiled and need to be discarded.

Clinical Phase

The student should refrain from wearing any cologne, perfume or scented after-shave in the clinic, hospital, or medical institution, since other students, faculty, and patients may be very sensitive to these items.

Facial piercings are not allowed to be worn during clinical rotations; minimal discrete jewelry is allowed.

Identification of Students

Students must always identify themselves as Physician Assistant students to patients, faculty, staff, preceptors and clinical site staff, and never present themselves as physicians, residents, medical students, or graduate Physician Assistants. If a patient or staff member misidentifies them as any other discipline (such as medical student or physician) they must immediately correct the error. While in the program, students may not use previously earned titles (i.e. PT, RN, DC, PhD, etc.) for identification purposes. Repeated failure of a student to wear proper identification will result in the student being referred to the PASC for disciplinary action.

At all times while on clinical rotations, the students must wear their student photo identification badge and a short lab coat with MUPAP logo provided by the University (unless the site prefers students not wear a lab coat in which case they will wear their university photo ID prominently displayed).

Health Screening & Immunization Policy

Follow the link to review the Health Screening and Immunization Policy.

Vaccine Exemptions

Clinical rotations are required as part of the MUPAP curriculum. Many clinical rotation sites require students to provide proof of vaccination to participate in clinical training (see the Health Screening and Immunization Policy section for specific vaccination requirements for enrollment). Although some sites may consider medical or religious exemption requests, approval is determined solely by the clinical facility and cannot be guaranteed. If an exemption request is denied, the program may need additional time to secure an alternative clinical placement. This could delay program completion and may result in additional expenses, including an extra semester of tuition if the delay extends enrollment.

International Rotation Requirements

For students who choose to go on an elective rotation outside the country, there are a few additional requirements. Students must meet the vaccination requirements of the country they will travel to.

Three months prior to departure students will visit the CDC Travelers’ Health webpage for the destination country. These pages offer healthy travel packing list information, travel notices and advice for travelers to stay healthy and safe. It also offers information on recommended and required vaccines and the non-vaccine preventable diseases in the area.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/belize

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/peru

The program recommends a pre-travel visit with a travel medicine provider or the student’s primary care provider. During this visit the traveler can review things such as required and recommended vaccines, ensure sufficient chronic medications for travel, and to discuss the needs for additional medications for conditions such as traveler’s diarrhea, altitude sickness and malaria prophylaxis.

Students will be required to upload a copy of their health insurance card that covers international travel to the learning management system.
Medical evacuation/travel insurance coverage of $100,000 is required.
Students who do not meet vaccine requirements for the destination country and who do not have health insurance for international travel will not be approved for an international rotation.
Please follow the instructions provided on Canvas LMS for your cohort with specific deadlines for submitting the documents above.

Student Access & Accommodation Services

It is the responsibility of students to contact Student Access & Accommodation Services to discuss possible testing accommodations. Students must be aware that if they decide not to reach out to discuss accommodations until after matriculation, any approved accommodations are not retroactive.

Program Progression & Completion

Graduation Requirements

Completion of all requirements for the specified professional phase of the program (didactic and clinical rotations) with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and no grades below a C (70%)
The professional phase (didactic and clinical rotation years) completed in residency
Good standing in character, conduct, and financial obligation to the University
Recommended by the faculty for graduation
Has met all other graduation requirements for the M.M.S. Degree

Remediation

Didactic Phase: It is essential that students adopt and exhibit self-directed responsibility for their mastery of knowledge and skills. It is the policy of the MUPAP that a student maintains a minimum score of 70% on each examination within a course. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain the required academic standards and to initiate the necessary interventions to remediate deficiencies in any area of study.

Any student that scores below 70% on an assessment (i.e., written exam, lab practical, Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE]) during the didactic phase of the program should follow the procedures listed below.

Contact the course instructor and course director within 24 hours of the grade being posted for the failed examination by email, phone, or in person to schedule a time to discuss the areas in which the student was deficient
Complete and sign the Assessment Remediation Form outlining the plan for remediation
Schedule appointment with any referrals for student resources recommended by faculty
Upload remediation assignment to Canvas by the due date

Remediations should be completed no later than 7 days from the date grades are posted. Students should seek guidance from program faculty and course instructors as necessary to complete this process. Failure to complete this process would result in a referral to the PASC. The initial grade received on the failed examination will remain the same, no grade change will occur with successful remediation.

This policy does not apply to quizzes; no formal remediation process is required for quizzes.

Clinical Phase: All students in the MUPAP are required to achieve a 70% or better average in each of their Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs) and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to progress through and graduate from the program. During the clinical year, students must successfully complete all required assessments within each SCPE to include:

End of Rotation (EOR) Exams: MUPAP utilizes PAEA EOR exams to assess student’s medical knowledge throughout the clinical year with the exception of PHA 5590 Orthopedics which is a faculty developed exam. Students are assigned the PAEA EOR exams based on specialty of the SCPE they are completing for that EOR day. PHA 5650 Elective I and PHA 5680 Elective II will not require an EOR examination, rather a case study elective project.
Preceptor Evaluation of the Student: Preceptors are required to evaluate each student midway through the rotation and upon completion of each SCPE using a Likert-scale evaluation tool.
Case Presentations: Each student is required to create and present a minimum of one case presentation during the clinical year. Case presentations will be presented at the student’s EOR for Family Medicine SCPE.
SCPE Skill Assessment: Students will be responsible for completing a skill assignment based on the SCPE that they are assigned to. Syllabi will guide students to which skills they will need to complete during the rotation.
SCPE Documentation Assignment: Students will be responsible for completing a documentation assignment based on the SCPE that they are assigned to. Examples of documentation assignments include a procedure note, a post-op note, a SOAP note, and new patient history and physical note.
SCPE Tracking Logs (Exxat): Students are expected to log a minimum of 100 patients per rotation, and a minimum of 1,100 patients during the clinical year.

Any individual assessment failure (e.g. End of Rotation [EOR] exam, Exxat logging, case presentation, or other SCPE assignments) must be remediated through the designated remediation process, even if the student ultimately earns a passing overall SCPE course grade. An overall SCPE course grade below 70% is considered a course failure. Students who fail a SCPE course will not remediate individual assessments; instead, the course failure will be referred to the Professional and Academic Standards Committee (PASC) for academic dismissal.

Remediation of EOR Exam

If a student fails an end of rotation examination, they will be referred to the PASC for placement on Academic Warning and will be required to complete a remediation assignment. However, the failed examination does still count as a failure and the initial grade received will remain the same. If a student fails a second EOR examination, they will be referred to PASC and will be placed on academic probation. If a student fails a third EOR examination they will be referred to PASC for academic dismissal. Students that score below 80% on any PAEA EOR exam are considered a low-pass and will be required to complete a review assignment that will be detailed in Canvas.

Remediation of Preceptors Evaluation

A student who scores below 3.0 (70%) on a Preceptor Evaluation of the Student will be referred to the PASC to determine a remediation plan and will be placed on Academic Probation. Although a student may pass a SCPE with a failing preceptor evaluation numerically, the ability to apply the concepts learned in the didactic year and be able to function in a clinical setting is paramount to becoming a practicing PA. Students must successfully remediate any failed evaluations in order to demonstrate competence. However, the numerical grade received initially will remain the same. The remediation process may result in a delay in graduation which may result in the student incurring additional expenses. A student that fails more than 1 (one) preceptor evaluation will result in a referral to the PASC for consideration of dismissal from the program.

Course Failure

Any student who fails a course with a final course grade below 70% will be dismissed from the program. There are no remediations for a course failure.
Good Academic Standing (Satisfactory Academic Progress)
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher calculated after each semester
Students must achieve a grade of C (70.00%) or above in all didactic and clinical courses
Does not meet any criteria for academic probation or dismissal

Academic Warning

This is an internal program status that is not reflected on a student’s official transcript. A student who is placed on Academic Warning is still considered in Good Academic Standing. Academic Warning alerts the program faculty that a student may be at risk of dropping below good academic standing. A student who is placed on Academic Warning would be required to meet with their Faculty Advisor more frequently than once a semester to ensure that the student is utilizing all available resources for success.

A student will be placed on Academic Warning for any of the criteria listed below:

A student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.15 but above 3.0, calculated at the completion of each semester
A student fails 2 or more assessments (written examination and/or practical examination to include Anatomy practical or OSCE) in a single didactic semester
A student receives two or more final course grades below 80.000 in a single semester
A student fails one EOR exam during the clinical phase of the program

A student that is placed on Academic Warning will remain on Academic Warning throughout the remainder of the program. A student that is on Academic Warning and meets 2 (two) or more criteria for Academic Warning again in subsequent semesters will be placed on Academic Probation.

Academic Probation

This status is reflected on the student’s official transcript. A student will be placed on Academic Probation for any of the criteria below:

A student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, calculated at the completion of each semester. A student must bring their cumulative GPA to above 3.0 by the end of the following semester or they will be dismissed from the program
A student that is currently on Academic Warning and meets 2 (two) or more criteria for Academic Warning again in subsequent semesters
A student fails two EOR exams during the clinical phase of the program.
A student fails one Preceptor Evaluation during the clinical phase of the program

Academic Probation status is assessed and reported to the Registrar’s office at the completion of each semester. The PASC will review the progress of students that are on Academic Probation at the completion of each semester and students will receive a letter from the Program Director of the PASC’s decision regarding whether a student will remain on Academic Probation or will return to Academic Warning as well as any progression criteria that must be met specific to the student’s situation.

Academic Dismissal

A student will be dismissed from the program for any of the following reasons:

A student’s failure to notify the program of intended return following voluntary leave of absence
A final course grade below 70% in any course within the program
A student’s cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for two (2) consecutive semesters
A student who is on Academic Probation going into the fourth didactic semester and does not meet the criteria to be removed from Academic Probation by the completion of the fourth didactic semester
A student that has a cumulative GPA below 3.0 at the completion of the didactic year
A student fails a third EOR exam during the clinical phase of the program
A student fails a second Preceptor Evaluation during the clinical phase of the program

Non-Academic Warning

A student exhibits a breach in program Standards of Conduct or fails to adhere to safety standards

Non-Academic Probation

A student exhibits a second breach in program Standards of Conduct or fails to adhere to safety standards for a second offense
A student that exhibits a breach in program Standards of Conduct that is egregious and warrants probation status rather than warning as determined by the PASC

Non-Academic Dismissal

Engaging in the following acts of misconduct, regardless of whether such misconduct is engaged in, on or off, University-owned or controlled property: Commission of an offense classified as a felony by Federal criminal statutes.
Unlawful use, possession, or sale of drugs or narcotics, whether or not felonious.
Falsification of records, or other acts which impugn the integrity of the student.
HIPAA and FERPA violations.
Repeated or egregious discriminatory, biased, or harassment behavior towards classmates, faculty, staff, patients, preceptors or other university community members; to include, but not limited to threats, retaliation, and/or hate crimes.
Actions which would substantially reduce or eliminate the student’s ability to effectively pursue a degree at Methodist University due to alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, or other physically or psychologically incapacitating condition.

Leave of Absence

A student is eligible for a leave of absence if he/she/they:

Is facing a personal or family difficulty.
Is in good standing with the University and the PA Program.
Meets with the offices of Student Financial Services and Financial Aid prior to or in the process of requesting a leave of absence and fully understands any additional financial obligations that will occur due to the leave of absence which could include increase in tuition and fees based on the timing of reentry or expenses related to a possible delay in graduation.
Understands that rotations that are outstanding due to the leave of absence will be made up at the beginning of the calendar year following the class graduation date. Clinical sites (not courses) may differ from those that were originally scheduled, and the rotation dates will coincide with the current clinical year cohort’s rotation schedule.
Notifies the Program Director in writing of the requested leave to include the tentative dates for the leave and plan for return, leave of absence must last no longer than 1 year.
Meets with the Program Director and either the Academic Coordinator and Clinical Coordinator as well as the Director of Admissions & Alumni Development for the program prior to approval.
Before granting permission to return, the program reserves the right to: require an assessment to confirm that program competencies (cognitive and skill) are met, request additional evaluations that would support the student’s eligibility to reenter the program and confirm that the student is able to meet the program required technical standards.
Program Completion Timeline: Leave of absence may not last longer than 1 year.

Withdrawal

Students who wish to withdraw from the Physician Assistant Program must comply with University policies, procedures, and published deadlines as outlined in the Academic Calendar.

Students are expected to:

Meet with the Program Director (or designee) to discuss their intent to withdraw; and
Submit a written statement to the Program Director outlining the reason for withdrawal

Students must also submit the appropriate University withdrawal request by the published deadline corresponding to the current term/semester (see Academic Calendar for “Last Day to Withdraw from a Class”).

Program Review of Withdrawal

Submission of a withdrawal request does not guarantee approval by the PA Program. The Program reserves the right to review all withdrawal requests in the context of the student’s academic standing, professionalism, and progression status and may, at its discretion:

approve the withdrawal;
deny the withdrawal request; or
convert the request to an academic or administrative dismissal in accordance with program policies

Reapplication Following Withdrawal

Students who seek to reapply to the program at a later date must receive permission from the Program prior to reapplying. The Program reserves the right to deny any request for reapplication. To be considered for reapplication the student must have been in good academic standing at the time of withdrawal.

Deceleration

Deceleration is defined by ARC-PA as “the loss of a student from the entering cohort, who remains matriculated in the PA program.”

MUPAP does not allow for deceleration as a result of course failure, academic or non-academic dismissal or as a result of withdrawal.

Deceleration may occur due to an approved leave of absence. Please see MUPAP policy for Leave of Absence for further information regarding the process to request a leave of absence and information regarding the approval process.

Dismissal

Students who are dismissed from the program for academic or non-academic reasons are not permitted to reenter the program and are not eligible for admission should he/she reapply. Dismissal from the program will be reflected on the student’s academic transcript.

Probations and dismissals of students are executed by the Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services and are reflected on transcripts.

Dismissals are final and cannot be appealed.

Tuition Refunds/Fees Policy

Students withdrawing from the University during the first week of classes (during the drop/add period) will receive a refund of the refundable amount paid. Students withdrawing from the University will be refunded the following percentages of tuition and room expenses:

Week 1: 100%
Week 2: 80%
Week 3: 60%
Week 4: 40%
Week 5: 20%
After Week 5: No Refund

Students withdrawing from the University or those reducing their course load below a certain level will be subject to a reduction or cancellation of their financial aid. Withdrawing students are subject to refunding of financial aid monies to the sources from which the funding was received, according to the provisions of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 for calculating the return of unearned Title IV funds. Any remaining funds are returned to the student. For details, contact the office of Student Financial Services. This policy may be found in the Methodist University Graduate Academic Catalog.

Dismissal Refund Policy

Students who are dismissed from the MUPAP for any reason are not eligible to receive a refund of the amount(s) that have been paid to the University.